High hopes for Bata & Co. in Cardiff bash

Efren "Bata" Reyes and Warren Kiamco hope to atone for their setbacks before local fans in the recent RP vs Europe 9-ball showdown as they lead the country’s bid in the keenly-awaited World Pool Championships firing off tomorrow in Cardiff, Wales.

Reyes and Kiamco lost to Ralf Souquet of Germany and Finnish Mika Immonen, respectively, via routs in the cross-over semis of the RP-Europe duel in a pair of losses that foiled a highly-anticipated all-Filipino finale like what they did in the recent San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour.

Reyes thumped Kiamco, 11-2, in that showdown but the country’s ace cue master failed to dish out the same form against the visiting European players and settled for third.

But Reyes, the 1990 world 9-ball champion, and Kiamco, along with Francisco "Django" Bustamante and Antonio Lining have vowed to redeem themselves in the Cardiff bash which gathers the best players in the world.

Other Asian cuemasters joining Reyes and Kiamco on the ranking of the San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour granted direct participation berths in Cardiff are Yang Ching Shun (Chinese Taipei), Lee Kun Fang (Chinese Taipei), Park Shin Young (Korea), 1993 and 2000 champion Chao Fong Pang (Chinese Taipei), Jeong Young Hwa (Korea), and Akikumo Toshikawa (Japan). Asian players will have the opportunity to prove themselves again after producing five world champions in the last 14 editions. ESPN Star Sports will telecast the matches live.

The reigning champion is American Earl "The Pearl" Strickland, who beat Bustamante in last year’s final.

Strickland, who was also champion in 1990 and 1991, leads the favorites this year. His closest challengers will probably include compatriot Corey Deuel, Immonen (2001 champ) and Ral Souquet (1996).

There is also the strong British contingent led by former snooker world champion Steve Davis along with Steve Knight, Daryl Peach and Imran Majid.

The winner will receive $65,000 from the total prize pot of US$300,000.

It should be a riveting competition, full of amazing shots and big breaks. Catch all the drama LIVE on STAR Sports.

A total of 128 players from 40 countries will be at the Cardiff International Arena as the event returns to the Welsh capital city for the fifth successive year. The World Pool Association provides 96 of the players while promoters Matchroo, supply the other 32. For the first round the players are divided into 16 groups of eight and play each other one over a race to five racks with alternate breaks. After the group stage the top four players in each group move into the last 64 from which point the competition is knockout.

The first two knockout rounds are races to nine racks with the winner breaking. For the round of 16 to the semi-finals it’s a race to 11 racks. Then the final is a race to 17.